Cuff link



y 1957 cl 5. MARIEN I 2,799,069

' CUFF LINK Filed Jan. 7, 1955 INVENTOIE. Clement 6. Marla/z AT TORNEYS.

United States Patent CUFF LINK Clement S. Marien, Attleboro, Mass.,assignor to Swank, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application January7, 1955, Serial No. 489,457

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-102) This invention relates to a cuff link of the typemore particularly designed for use in a shirt having so-called Frenchcuffs in which the cuff is folded back upon itself and button holes areprovided in both folded-back portions for the reception of a cuff link.

In the use of cuff links for the type of cuff in which there are buttonholes in each marginal edge portion, sometimes cuff links comprising twomembers which are completely separable are utilized so that the cuff maybe opened for more easily removing the shirt. In other cases where theheads which engage the opposite edges of the cuff are in fixed relation,one of the heads must be removed from the button hole in order that thecuff may be opened for easily removing the shirt.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a cuff link whichwill have its opposite members with heads so connected that there may bean enlargement of the distance between them so that the shirt may beeasily removed over the wrist Without completely separating the membershaving the heads which engage the buttons of the cuff.

Another object of the invention is to provide an enlargement of theconnection between the heads of a cuff link without some elastic action.Another object of the invention is to provide an extendable connectionbetween the heads of a cuff link which will maintain these heads in adesired relative position one to the other.

Another object of this invention is to provide a relatively rigid linkwhen in collapsed position with no flexibility afforded.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cuff link constructed in accordancewith this invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the cuff link inexpanded position;

Figure 3 is an exploded view with parts in section of the differentrigid parts which go to make up the link;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of Figure l, but on a largerscale, showing the clasping action between certain of the parts.

In proceeding with this invention, I provide a pair of members, each ofwhich will have an ornamental head to engage the outer surface of thecuff and a post which will extend through the button holes of the cuff.These posts are then each provided with arms which extend laterally inopposite directions, and the outer free ends of the post are thenconnected by a'rigid link which will nest into the arms when the buttonis in collapsed position and be held in this position by recesses in onepart and protuberances in the other to enter the recesses. The posts arebeveled at their inner ends so that they will engage and be insubstantial alignment when the button is in collapsed posi tion.

With reference to the drawings, the cuff link comprises a pair ofmembers and 11 which are substantially duplicates in construction. Eachof these members comprises a head 12 which will be ornamental and whichis designed to engage the outer surface of the shirt cuff. A

2,799,069 Patented July 16, 1957 ice post 13 projects from the head atright angles thereto and may in some cases be of the same piece ofmaterial and integral with the head, or the post may be soldered to thehead. At the inner end of the post there extends laterally from the postand at right angles thereto an arm 14 which will be of channel shape incross section having opposite side walls 15 and a bridging connectingWall 16. The end of the post is beveled as at 17 so that the two posts13 may be in alignment with the bevel 17 at 45, forming a joint betweenthem. The members 10 and 11 will be positioned in opposed relation sothat the arm 14 of one extends in a diametrically opposite directionfrom the arm 14 of the other, and as they are in opposed relation, thebeveled ends 17 will mate as shown in Figure 1. The free ends 18 of eachof the arms are connected together by a rectangular link 19 which hasopenings in its ends as at 20 so as to register with openings 21 in theends of the arms 18 and a pivot pin 22 will pass through theseregistering openings so as to pivotally connect the link 19 with thefree ends 18 of the arms 14.

This link 19 is of rectangular construction as will be seen in Figure 4and closely fits between the walls 15 in such a manner as to bottom uponthe wall 16 of thischannel arm 14. Thus, the members 10 and 11 may beremoved from the position shown in Figure 1 to the posi tion shown inFigure 2 by reason of the link 19 swinging on its pivots 22, and byreason of the close fit of the link in the channel the parts 10 and 11may be moved to closed position and be guided into correct alignment bythe rectangular link and channel guiding the parts to contractedposition.

The parts may be held in this contracted position by recesses 23 in thelink and protuberances 24 struck in the side walls of the channel whichmay leave depressions 25 in the outer surface so that as the link ismoved to contracted position, the resilient walls 15 will be slightlyspread apart and the link seated in the channel and held therein byreason of the protuberance springing back into the recesses 23 by theinherent resiliency of the stock so as to hold the cuff link in closedposition.

By reason of the rectangular fitting of the movableparts and theconstruction above described, a rather rigid cufi link is provided whenin this folded position. It will be readily apparent that the heads 12will engage the outer surface of the cuff about the button hole openingswhile the arms 14 will be between the inner surface of the cuffs. Thelink 19 may be made of such extent as to afford a separation of theopposite parts of the cuff as may be desired.

I claim:

1. A cuff link comprising a pair of members, each having a head, a postat substantially right angles to the head, and an arm extendinglaterally from the post terminating in a free end with the free ends ofthe arms in opposed relation, each of said arms being channel shaped incross section and made of the same material as the said posts andintegral therewith, a link connecting the free ends of said arms and ofa size to nest into the channel of the arms, the ends of said postsdistant from the head being beveled and in overlapping relation when themembers are in contracted position, and means for detachably holdingsaid link in nested relation within said arms.

2. A cuff link according to claim 1 wherein the ends of said posts arebeveled at an angle of 45.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS139,991 Allen June 17, 1873 1,068,519 Mooney July 29, 1913 2,206,082Ellsasser July 2, 1940

